Cuff-link



Dec. 4, 19 34. G. A. LAUGHTON 1,983,235

CUFF LINK Filed March 71. 1954 Patented Dec. 4, 1934 1,983,235 CUFF-LINKGeorge Abe Laughton, Birmingham, England ApplicationMarch 7, 1934,Serial No. 714,499

In Great Britain March 7, 1933 6 Claims. (01. 24- 102) The inventionrelates to cuff-links of the kind in which a pair of heads or buttonsareconnected together by an expansible member so that the fastened cuffmay be drawn up the arm of the wearer when desired and will open orexpand as it is drawn onto the thicker part of the forearm.

In one arrangement of this kind a helical compression spring is coiledwithin a hollow head or button and a light chain or other flexiblemember is connected to the other head or button and enters the hollowhead; the chain or other flexible member passes along the interior ofthe Usually, the other end of the spring from that to which the flexibleconnection is attached, is

secured around a tubular neck or lip on the internal face of the hollowbutton or head.

The object of the present invention is toprovide an improvedmounting forthe end of the,

spring which is adjacent the neck of the hollow button or head. i

The appended drawing illustrates the inven- Figure 1 is a part-sectionalelevation of a cufflink in expanded condition.

Figure 2 is a section of one hollow button or head on line 2-2 of Figure1 but showing the (extended condition of the spring which corre- 36 issecured at its end to the other of thespring sponds to the unexpandedcondition of the link.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of one shell or pressing for making thishollow button.

Figure 4 is a similar View after piercing the blank. 7

Figure 5 is a sectional view of an alternative form of pressing orshell.

Figure 6 is a similar view of the finished shell ready for assembling inthe button or head.

Figure '7 shows in section a still further constructional form ofpressing or shell, and

Figure 8 shows the same pressing after drilling.

In the drawing a is one button or head of a cuff-link and. b the other.0 represents the usual chain link or other form of link between the twoheads a and 11. One end of c is attached to the head a in any convenientmanner; the other end, instead of being directly attached to the headI), is connected in this type of expansible link to a length of finechain d or any equivalent flexible member such as a wire or cable. Thespring which is housed within the hollow head b, and serves to take upthe chain or flexible member 11 when the link is not expanded, isreferredto as e. The fine chain it, or equivalent flexible member,

,duced bore is shaped to provide a smooth guide at its extremity, forthechain or flexible cone within the hollow button by soldering it to thenector to work through; while the hollow neck gives an enclosed space toreceive and provide an effective anchorage for the end h of the springe.

Figure 3 shows the neck formed as a blind pressing which is subsequentlypierced to form the bore 9 as shown at Figure 4. In a preferredconstruction, Figures 5 and 6 I press, or draw, the hollow neck I of thesame thickness of metal 7 as the side cheek or shell of the head and ofgreater length than is ultimately desired for the neck. Then I forceback the extremity into the hollow of the neck in suitable press toolsto form an inturned lip or flange 9' therein. This lip or flange issmoothly curved or bell-mouthed to form the guide for the chain; whilstthe space around it and above it serves for the anchorage of the end hof the spring e.

A further construction shown in Figures 7 j.

and 8 does not give accommodation for quite so long a spring 6. Thisconsists in pressing the end of the hollow neck part i so as to thickenup the metal at the end as at 7c.

This may then be drilled with a two piece drill to form a bore m oflarger diameter near the cheek terminating in a shoulder, slightlygrooved on its surface for the spring to rest on; and, beyond theshoulder, an outer smaller diameter bore 11. with a flared mouth, toform the guide.

In addition to the facility of manufacture, and the more effectivespring anchorage, which this invention yields, there is the advantagethat a greater length of spring can be employed so that the connectorcan be drawn out of the hollow ofheads and a flexible connection, aflexible member to which the flexible connection is attached, a springhoused in one of the heads to which the flexible member is connected anda hollow neck on one of the heads into which one end of the spring isaccommodated so as to permit a longer spring to be employed.

2. A cuff-link comprising in combination a pair of heads and a flexibleconnection, a flexible member to which the flexible connection isattached, a spring housed in one of the heads to which the flexiblemember is connected and through which it is threaded, and a hollow neckon one of the heads into which one end of the spring is accommodated soas to permit a longer spring to be employed.

3. A cuff-link comprising in combination a pair of heads and a flexibleconnection, a flexible member to which the fiexible'connection isattached, a spring housed in one of the heads to which the flexiblemember is connected and a hollow neck on one of the heads into which oneend of the spring is accommodated so as to permit a longer spring to beemployed, said neck having an opening which forms a smooth guide for theflexible member as it is drawn into or out of the head.

4. A cuiT-link comprising in combination a pair of heads and a flexibleconnection, a flexible member to which the flexible connection isattached, a spring housed in one of the heads to which the flexiblemember is connected, and

through which it is threaded, and a hollow neck on one of the heads intowhich one end of the spring is accommodated so as to permit a longerspring to be employed, said neck having an opening which forms a smoothguide for the flexible member as it is drawn into or out of the head.

5. An expansible cuff-link having a spring in one of its heads to whicha flexible connection member is attached so that the member under straincan be drawn more or less out of the head against the expansive force ofthe spring which draws it in again when the load is removed, in

"which the head for housing the spring has a hollow neck through whichthe flexible member moves and in which the end of the spring isaccommodated.

6. An expansible cuff-link having a spring in one of its heads to whicha flexible connection member is attached so that the member under straincan be drawn more or less out of the head against the expansive force ofthe spring which draws it in again when the load is removed, in whichthe head for housing the spring has a hollow neck integral with it,through Whichthe flexible member moves and in which the end of thespring is accommodated, said neck having an inturned end around whichthe end turns .of the spring are'engaged.

GEORGE ABE LAUGHTON.

